Because McSweeney’s was the original hardcover publisher of the novel A Hologram for the King, written by Dave Eggers and nominated for the National Book Award, we have a more-than-passing interest in the film adaptation of the book, directed by Tom Twyker and starring Tom Hanks, Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury, Khalid Laith, Waleed Elgadi, and Tom Skerrit.

As many readers may know, the first trailer for the movie is hilariously corny and misleading, implying the film is an early-‘90s rom-com fish-out-of-water story. This isn’t the case with the book or the actual film. The film, written and directed by Tom Tykwer, the celebrated German filmmaker known for Run Lola Run and Cloud Atlas, is subtle, intelligent, emotionally nuanced and was made with great integrity and cultural sensitivity.